OMATO 
CULTURE 




By W. A. VAN CAMP 

INDIANAPOLIS. IND. 



Livingston's Stone Tomato 



Has again scored big triumphs over 
all competitors the past season. From 
leading canning centers of Ohio, Indi- 
ana, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, 
etc., comes the news that the old reli- 
able Livingston's Stone is still the most 
dependable of all large bright red sorts 
for canners' use. For many years it 
has been 

The "Stand-by" of the Canners 

For perfect production of highest 
grade tomato seed, Ohio is the Ideal 
state. With us originated the most 
profitable sort of tomatoes ever intro- 
duced. Livingston's Paragon, Living- 
ston's Favorite, Livingston's Coreless 
and Livingston's Hummer are a few of 
the sorts that have helped the canning 
industry to make better products and 
bigger profits. To-day our sales are 
measured by Tons of Seeds. 

Liviogston's Tomato Seeds are sold in sealed packages only. 
Qnotations and Seed Annual on Request. 

The Livingston Seed Co. 

COLUMBUS, OfflO 



Tomato Cultivation 



A PRACTICAL TREATISE ON THE 

GROWING AND CULTIVATION 

OF THE TOMATO 



By ^VILL A. VAN CAMP 



INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA 



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€Cf.A334616 



TOMATO CULTIVATION 



Every year a new series of cultivators, 
both of farm and garden, springs into ex- 
istence. If these young men could be per- 
suaded to take up the work from the 
scientific standpoint, agriculture could 
soon be elevated to an art. Instead of 
meeting the same difficulties as their 
fathers, they could benefit themselves and 
their State by profiting by the experiences 
of their predecessors. To these progres- 
sive minds who are interested in the suc- 
cessful cultivation of the tomato, we sub- 
mit the following suggestions of work, 
based upon the most careful observation 
and experience. 

First Tomato 

The first tomato was the small Red 
Cherry. The next one was the Golden 
Trophy, a very large, rough variety. The 
next kind was Mr. Warner's Red Trophy, 

Copyrighted 1913 3 



which, for a while, sold for a very high 
price, and at one time brought as much 
as ten cents for one seed. 

It would be impossible to follow up the 
constant improvement of the tomato and 
its rapid progress in all parts of the coun- 
try as a staple food, in this brief history 
of the plant; so we will pass on. 

Soil for Tomatoes 

One of the most important factors in 
securing an assured crop of tomatoes is 
the procuring of good soil. 

It is quite true that success in growing 
tomatoes has been had in almost all kinds 
of soil. To be on the safe side, however, 
care should be taken in selecting the soil 
to be used. A clay loam, well drained, 
will produce, as a rule, a large crop of 
very solid tomatoes. In some districts 
last season, where a rich, sandy loam was 
used, a very large yield was obtained. 
However, the best tomatoes are those 
grown in a moderately rich clay soil with 
a good porous clay sub-soil, but the land 
should not be made too rich, for this con- 



dition will induce too much growth of 
vine, cause blight and rot, and the vine 
will not be so prolific in fruit. 

Drainage 

The soil used for the tomato crop 
should be well drained either by nature 
or atificial means. The first two weeks 
after the plant is set in the field is the 
time when the plant cannot stand much 
water. Care must be taken that young 
plants do not have "wet feet." 

Planting and Making Beds 

Use common out-door hot beds. Nearly 
all farmers understand the making of 
these, yet it is well to mention a few 
points about preparing them for toma- 
toes. For each acre of tomatoes, provide 
a hot bed 6' x 10'. These hots beds should 
be made during the last week in March 
or the first week in April. 

The deep beds are far the best; and 
those with heating material placed under 
the ground are much better than the 
beds which are above the ground, for 
those under hold the heat much loneer. 



This heat is an essential for the tomatoes. 
A deep bed not only retains the heat 
longer, after the bed is once thoroughly 
heated, but is more uniform throughout. 

Making Hot Beds 

Use boards 18" wide for the sides and 
ends. Excavate 8", using the soil to 
bank up the sides and ends ; this will pre- 
vent water from seeping into the excava- 
tion and cooling the bed. 

One should use not less than 12 inches 
of fresh stalile manure well trodden down 
and elevated only a few inches above the 
surface. The next important item is to 
have plenty of good, rich dirt, using not 
less than 5 inches, and laying it on as 
soon as the bed is formed. Then put on 
the cover — glass preferred — close tightly 
and let it remain so until the bed becomes 
thoroughly hot. A canvas cover may be 
used, but it is likely to admit too much 
air, thus allowing the bed to cool. It is 
sometimes a week before it is thoroughly 
heated. Then work the soil and sow the 
seeds in rows 8" apart, using five seeds to 
the inch. I wish to call your attention to 



pressing the soil firmly upon the seed. If 
you wish to transplant the plant from 
this bed to a cold bed, you may sow the 
seeds in rows 6" apart and use eight 
seeds to the inch. The transplanting 
should be done after the plant has put 
out the second leaf. Transplanted plants 
should be set in rows 2" apart and 2" 
wide. Use an old saw blade for making 
the furrows in which to set the plants. 
See that no plant is bent, but that each 
is perfectly straight. This will make the 
plants much easier to handle. 

Making Warm Beds 

These beds should be made 5^' wide 
and as long as one may desire. Use 
lumber 12" wide and make the cover out 
of muslin. Drive a stake about 20" in 
height at the middle x><^>iiit of each end. 
Then draw a wire from the sides across 
the end and another wire through the 
middle. This will niake your roof like 
that of a house. You can now put the 
wires across at a distance of every eight 
feet in the same manner. This will hold 
the cover up well. 



Fasten one side firmly and secure the 
other side by means of loops. This de- 
vice will be very useful when you wish 
to give the plants sunlight. Let these 
beds stand three days before sowing the 
seed. The beds should be made as fol- 
lows: 

Excavate either the south or east end 
of the bed 1^" lower than the other end. 
This will allow for drainage. Use 4" of 
fresh stable manure and pack it solidly. 
Then cover it with 3" of good rich soil. 
Top dress the bed with 1" of very rich 
soil and work this well into the top of the 
other soil, using a small garden rake. 
Cover the bed and let it stand for three or 
four days. Then work the soil again. In 
sowing the seed, sow it 1" deep, using 
four seeds to the inch and putting the 
rows 6" apart. By means of a board 
press the seed solidly into the soil. This 
will produce even germination. 

In working the plants, use a little tool 
made after this fashion. Take a stick and 
drive four eight penny nails into the end. 
This you will find to be the best tool you 
can secure for working the plants. 



In taking plants out of the bed, never 
pull them, but tirst loosen the soil so 
that you can lift them out, breaking no 
roots, and with some of the soil still 
clinging- to the plant. In case we should 
have any cold weather, your plants will 
probably need more protection than the 
muslin cover. A lantern is not be used 
on account of the danger of fire or smoke. 
A thin covering of straw placed over the 
muslin is the best protection you can 
obtain. The plants should have plenty 
of air after they reach a height of six 
inches. If you wish to rush them you can 
do it by watering them every day and by 
keeping them covered. The plant should 
be eight inches tall before you take it out 
of the bed to set it in the field. 

Growing Plants in Cold Beds 

We find that many of our growers 
think it is too much work to grow plants 
in a hot or warm bed, and hence they 
prefer a cold bed. The" preparing of the 
cold bed is neglected and often poor re- 
sults are obtained. Cover your plant bed 
with 2" to 3" of fresh stable manure in 



the fall, then in the spring rake it off 
before plowing. Plow the bed 5" to 6" 
deep, then cover the bed with a good coat 
of well rotted manure ; then rake the soil, 
seeing tliat there are no clods or uneven soil. 
Have it in perfect condition and quite 
mellow ; then if you have a seed sower 
set it as you would to sow beet seed. 
Make a small furrow, then sow the seed. 
If you have no drill, take a tin can that 
has a lid, and punch the bottom full of 
holes like a pepper box. Use a ten-penny 
nail. Punch holes from the outside. This 
will scatter the seed in the furrow ; then 
cover with a hoe or garden plow. Do not 
try to get the seed sown in a narrow row. 
If the seed are sown in a furrow 2" to 
3" wide, the seed will scatter and make 
much better plants. Do not pull the 
plants, but dig them up and save all the 
little roots. Do not sow seed on the north 
side of fence or building. See that your 
plants get the morning sun — an east or 
south slope is best. The rows in a large 
bed should be 16" apart, in a small bed 
they can be 10" apart. 

I have had the very best results in 



growing plants in the open field by using 
500 pounds of commercial fertilizer to the 
acre. I use a garden plow to make my 
furrows and sprinkle my fertilizer in the 
furrow. If you have a seed drill, you can 
incorporate the fertilizer with the soil by 
means of the drill. If not, use the plow 
and make the furrow a little deeper. I 
make the rows sixteen inches apart thus 
giving plenty of room for hand cultiva- 
tion. I am never troubled with any fungi 
in this plant bed. My plants are a few 
days later, but are very strong and stalky. 

Sowing the Seed 

It is of utmost importance to know 
when and how to sow the seed in the 
beds. In hot beds, one should wait until 
the weed and grass seed get a good start. 
Then take a fine steel-tooth rake and work 
the soil until all young weeds and grass 
which have started have been destroyed, 
and the soil made perfectly fine. Then 
commence at one end of the bed to sow 
the seed. They should always be sown 
north and south across the bed in drills 
6" apart. The furrows should be from 



1" to 2" deep. Sow the seed thinly and 
with the back of the hand press them 
firmly in the soil and cover with fine dirt. 
Great care must be taken not to sow the 
seed too thickly. Where tliis has been 
done the young plants must be thinned 
out at once. When the sowing of the seed 
is completed, take a board and press the 
soil firmly over the seed. This operation 
is of the greatest importance in order to 
secure quick and even germination. By 
using this method, you will be able to 
secure good, strong, healthy plants. Here 
lies the secret of success in tomato grow- 
ing — the securing of good, strong, stalky, 
well-rooted plants. This is all important 
for shipment, as it is only from such 
plants that fine, early tomatoes are grown. 

Then watering is a very important mat- 
ter, and great care must be taken in this 
operation to prevent damping oflf. Water 
out of wells or springs should never be 
used, unless warmed. Let it rain on the 
beds when possible, for this is far better 
thn watering by hand. 

As to the time of the season to sow the 
seed — this depends entirely upon the lo- 



callty. One should always reckon to sow 
the seed about six weeks before the time 
to set in the open field. This is ample 
time for the plants to get all the growth 
needed. It is best not to begin until time 
to hurry the plants right along from the 
day they come up until they are set in 
open field. Plants started and dwarfed 
never do well. 

Preparing Field for Setting of Plants 

The preparation of the soil is another 
important factor in the proper raising of 
tomatoes. The ground should be pre- 
pared in the following manner : 

Plow the ground as early as possible 
in the spring at the depth of 8", and 
allow to settle. The soil should be worked 
once a week with a disc or harrow. This 
will keep the ground clear of weeds or 
grass. A few days before setting the 
plants, you should perpare the soil in the 
same manner by using thedisc and loos- 
ening the ground to a depth of 5". Then 
fertilize by using a wheat drill, then disc 
again so as to thoroughly incorporate the 
fertilizer with the soil. If the soil is full 



of clods, make it loose by using a good, 
heavy drag. If the ground is meadow, 
or, in fact, if it contains any kind of grass, 
I advise the use of the disc, together v^ith 
the drag. If you do this once a week it 
will make you a perfect bed for your 
plants and will eventually prove a great 
saving in the cultivation. 

Preparation of Plants for Field 

The correct preparation of the plants 
is another essential to a good crop. In 
taking the plants out of the beds, loosen 
the soil so that the plant may be easily 
lifted out. By pulling a plant your bruise 
it and break ofif all the small roots. 
Moisten the roots, but not the top of the 
plant, as soon as you take it out of the 
bed; 

We wish to warn the tomato growers 
against placing the young plants in stand- 
ing water, as they are very easily scalded. 
Instead, we advise that they be put into a 
mulch of mud and water, as this keeps the 
plant moist and fresh until set in the field. 

There are two kinds of plants which 
can be grown almost side bv side, one 



with a long- tap root, the other with the 
roots in a chister. I prefer the plant with 
a cluster of roots grown b}^ top dressing". 
A plant bed that has been manured heav- 
ily, turned under, and not top dressed, will 
grow a plant with a long, slim tap root. 
If broken ofif, the plant will stop growing 
for several days and will wilt when set in 
the field. A plant grown with a top dress- 
ing only will grow the roots nearer the 
surface and the roots will be in a cluster. 
When the plant is set in the field, and a 
small amount of water is used in setting, 
it will not wilt down, thereby contribut- 
ing toward an earlier crop. 

Seasoning Plants 

We often find tomato plants very ten- 
der on account of their quick growth. 
The cultivator sometimes has trouble in 
getting such plants to grow. Should 
your plants be of this sort, I advise that 
you season them. This is accomplished 
by taking them out of the beds and plac- 
ing them in small bunches under a cover. 
Keep the roots moist, but not water- 
soaked. Allow the plants to stand from 



one to three days. You will find that the 
plant thus nurtured will grow much bet- 
ter and will prove to be a strong plant. 

Time for Transplanting to the Field 

The plants should be transplanted not 
earlier than May 15th, and not later than 
June 15th. Some seasons we have set 
them out as late as July 1st, and have 
obtained a good crop, but this seldom 
happens. 

Setting Plants in Open Field 

The soil should be in good condition, 
well worked down, and fresh. Cross it 
out with a marker, and in furrowing it 
do not allow the earth to get dry before 
setting the plants. Keep setting the 
plants up close to the plow. The dis- 
tance for setting plants in the field is at a 
space of 4' x 4', and it will bring good re- 
sults ; but on a very rich black soil they 
should be set 4' x 5' and even 5' x 5' is 
not too far apart on some land. There 
are many kinds of tools which may be 
used in setting the plants, and all are suc- 
cessful. My plan for hand-setting is to 



use a common, flat, narrow spade. A nar- 
row and short-handled hoe is often used 
with good results. A sharp, wooden peg 
is the poorest tool you can use. It makes 
a hole which you cannot close without 
packing the soil, and which does not shut 
off the air from the roots. The plant- 
setting machines are doing good work. 
If your ground is mellow, as it should be, 
a plant-setter is a splendid labor-saving 
implement. 

The plants should be of good size and 
stalky, but not overgrown or in bloom, 
after taking them up they should be 
placed in boxes or pans in an upright po- 
sition. If ])ossible, set them out along 
toward night or after showers, as they 
recover sooner. After watching growers 
for several years, and also from actual 
experience, it has been found that when 
setting a plant into the field, about one- 
half to one pint of water should be used, 
pouring it on a small portion of earth that 
should cover tlie roots, and a little dry dirt 
sliould be left on top. This will exclude all 
nil- and keep the plants moist. While it 
takes :i little longer to set out the plants 



by using water, it will pay at the end of 
the season. The plants should be set 
deeply. If the above described method is 
closely followed, the plants will start to 
grow immediately. 

Fertilizing 

One week before setting the plants, dis- 
tribute, by means of a two-horse wheat 
drill, over the ground, not less than 300 
to 500 pounds of fertilizer-' to 'the acre. 
Then harrow or disc the soil in order to 
thoroughly mix the fertilizer with it. 
Next mark off the distance apart which 
you expect to set the plants, 4' x 4', 
4'x4j/^', or 5' X 5'. In order to drill the 
fertilizer both ways, use a one-horse five- 
hole wheat drill, closing up the two out- 
side holes, the wheel of the drill being in 
the mark. By this method you obtain 
double fertilization in the cross where 
you are to set the plant. Use a disc or 
harrow to thoroughly mix the fertilizer 
with the soil. Be sure to leave the marks 
at the ends of the field so that you can 
again mark the ground for the setting of 
the plain's, the same as before. In this 



20 



way you will be able to set the plant 
where it should be to give it the imme- 
diate results, that is, directly in the cross 
where you have double fertilized. 

Next plan : As soon as the plant has 
started to grow, scatter around the plant 
\y2 oz., or a large tablespoonful of ferti- 
lizer. Use care not to get any of the 
fertilizer on the plant, as it will injure the 
plant. Next. As this fertilizer must be 
thoroughly blended with the soil, mix the 
two with a hoe. You cannot obtain good 
results by using a plow, as you are not 
able to mix the two thoroughly. Con- 
sequently, in the end, you are disap- 
pointed in your crop. In a field test made 
last season, we obtained 1^ tons to the 
acre when we tried to mix the fertilizer 
by plowing. On the other hand, where 
w^e mixed the fertilizer with a hoe, we 
secured 8 tons to the acre. In both cases 
the same amount to the acre was used 
and at the same time. On ordinary soil, 
I believe that 300 lbs. to the acre is suffi- 
cient, but I think 500 lbs. is much better. 
Should you use 500 lbs., I advise that you 
put on 300 lbs. for the first application 



and in three weeks 200 lbs. more. Mix it 
in the soil in the same way. On very 
poor soil I would put a fork of well-rotted 
manure in each hill, then 3" of soil on top 
of the manure. In four weeks I would 
fertilize the same as above. 

Cultivating 

As soon as possible after the plants 
have been set in the field, they should be 
cultivated. This will loosen up the soil 
where it has been packed down during 
the work of transplantation and will start 
the young- plants into growth. The first 
cultivation may be rather deep and close 
to the plants, the shovels being' set to 
throw the dirt slightly toward them. The 
succeeding- cultivations from seven to ten 
days apart should be shallow and farther 
away, the aim being to form a dust mulch 
to prevent evaporation as well as to keep 
down weeds. 

If the weather is very dry, a small har- 
row is a good implement. Keep the soil 
well stirred, so that it will hold the moist- 
ure and not prune the roots. If the land 
is wet, care should 1)6 taken to have all in- 



dentations between the hills smooth and 
level. If the weather is Avet and cold, do 
as little work to the plant as possible un- 
til the soil gets dry enough to stir. 

The cukivation itself of this crop is 
neglected more, on the whole, than any 
other operation connected with raising it. 
Perhaps this can be accounted for by the 
fact that the farmer is very busy with his 
other crops at this season of the year and 
hence leaves the tomato to shift for itself. 
The neglect of cultivation proves disas- 
trous to the crop, as it allows weeds to 
choke out the plants, and the ground to 
become baked and hard, thus encouraging- 
evaporation of the soil moisture and 
greatlv decreasing the yield. 

I wish to call }'our attention to the fol- 
lowing- item, as you may at some future 
time say that }'our tomatoes do not weigh 
out well. The green tomato is light and 
you lose on every one you pick. Packers 
cannot use a green tomato for anything. 
They want the ripe tomato. Remember 
this in your picking. Neither can they 
use a decayed tomato. Throw away any 
one wnich may not be ripe and sound. 

23 



The decaj-ed tomato is useful to the 
farmer as a fertilizer. 

When the first fruits are beginning to 
set on the vine, cultivation is usually dis- 
continued. If the plants are still small, 
they may be cultivated once between each 
row, care being taken not to shake the 
vines, as this will cause the small fruit to 
drop. Plants properly cared for will usu- 
ally cover a considerable portion of the 
ground when the fruits begin to form, 
thus preventing evaporation to a great 
extent. Throughout the remainder of the 
season, two or three thorough hoeings 
will generally be sufficient to keep the 
weeds under control. 

The tool commonly used in caring for 
the crop is the two-horse corn cultivator. 
If the soil is dry and soft, a drag made 
out of the drive wheel of a mowing ma- 
chine is a good implement. This will 
throw soil enough to the plant to cover 
the grass and weeds. 

One of these, with several small teeth 
to break the soil, should be selected in 
preference to those having two large 



shovels, which leave the soil in ridges. 
Level and shallow cultivation is prefer- 
able to hilling or ridging. 

Harvesting 

The time of harvesting depends to a 
great extent upon the earliness of trans- 
planting and the weather conditions at 
the time the first fruits are setting. Un- 
der favorable conditions, the first picking 
occurs from 70 to 80 days after the plants 
are set in the field. This will bring the 
beginning of the picking season from the 
first of August to the first of September. 
The vines usually continue to bear until 
the first killing frost. 

In picking tomatoes, handle them care- 
fully. Pick only those that are ripe. Do 
not injure the vine. If, by mistake, one 
is taken too green, place it back on the 
base of the vine to ripen until the next 
picking. Pick all decayed tomatoes from 
the vines at first and either throw them 
away or feed them to hogs, cattle, or poul- 
try, all of which are very fond of them. 
There is usually more fault found with 
reference to the tomato being picked too 

25 



green than with any other phase of to- 
mato growing-. 

In some cases, at factories visited dur- 
ing the canning season, from one-fifth to 
one-third of the fruits in certain deliveries 
had to be taken out on the sorting tables 
because of their green condition. 

Crates of tomatoes delivered to the can- 
ning factory in a dripping condition are 
unfit for use. 

Pick at the proper time, pick carefully, 
and handle carefully after picking, and 
the crop will bring more money. 

In removing the fruits, care should be 
taken not to move the vines any more 
than is positively necessary. Lifting and 
pulling them al)out greatly reduces the 
yields in many instances. The stems 
lying" on the ground take root and carry 
considerable nourishment to the ripening 
fruit, and as it is the 3'ounger roots that 
are of the most value to the plant, it is 
very important that they be left intact. 
Not only is this food supply cut short, 
but many of those fruits alread}^ formed 
are knocked ofif through rough handling 
of the vines. 



26 



Care must be taken in placing the to- 
matoes in crates in order to avoid bruis- 
ing them. These crates are easily handled 
and keep the fruit from being crushed in 
hauling. The canning companies usually 
own the crates and either rent or loan 
them to the growers. The crates have 
aided considerably in the proper handling 
of the crop. 

Do not fill the crates too full when 
loading on the wagon. Set them down 
carefully. If they are slammed around 
l)otli before and after the fruit is in the 
crates, it is no wonder tlie latter comes to the 
factory in bad condition. All tomatoes 
should be taken to factory or station in a 
wagon with springs. 

Varieties 

There are now a great many varieties 
of tomatoes being ofifered. The variety 
depends largely upon the use for which 
the crop is intended. When growing for 
shipping purposes, we have found the 
Stone to be the very best. For the last 
thirty-five years we have purchased the 
Stone varietv from the Livingston Seed 



27 



Company and have found it worthy of its 
name, "True Blue." From a special ac- 
count I find that this variety was discov- 
ered two hundred and thirteen years ago, 
1700. 

We also think well of the. Landreth Red 
Rock. As they are a little earlier variety 
than the Stone, some people prefer them. 

We have used the Landreth Red Rock 
only three years, but we find our growers 
so well pleased with the variety that they 
are asking for its seed. It is as early as 
the Favorite, is a good producer, and is a 
smooth, solid tomato for shipping. 

Insects and Diseases 

At the present time the tomato in Indi- 
ana is not troubled seriously by either in- 
sects or diseases. In some localities, dur- 
ing certain seasons, one or two growers 
may be troubled to a considerable extent, 
but at no one time has an entire district 
been deprived of its crop, as often occurs 
with some of our other cultivated crops. 

Tomato Worm. — This is the large, 
greenish worm, commonly called tobacco 
worm, which lives upon the foliage. If 



28 



the worms are present in large numbers 
and are not controlled, they will soon ruin 
the vines, as the amount consumed by 
each, daily, is enormous. 

They can be controlled by the use of 
arsenical sprays, such as Paris green and 
arsenate of lead, or by hand-picking. 

Cut Worms. — There are numerous spe- 
cies of these worms, which often destroy 
the plants by eating them off close to the 
ground just after transplantation. The 
worms are about one and one-half inches 
long, and vary in color from a greenish 
to a dull grav. 

They may be controlled, to a certain 
extent, by having the ground plowed a 
couple of weeks before transplanting, and 
by scattering poisoned baits about the 
field in the evening, care being taken to 
keep all vegetation down in order to com- 
pel the worms to eat the poison. The 
baits are prepared by rolling up bunches 
of clover, grass or bran and wetting them 
with a solution of Paris green and water. 

Potato Beetle. — The treatment for this 
insect is the same as that given above for 
the tomato worm. 



29 



Stalk Borer. — In some seasons this has 
proven quite destructive in certain locali- 
ties. The borer enters the stalk and tun- 
nels through it, causing the plant to sud- 
denly wilt and die. Either the borer or 
the tunnel it has made can be readily 
found and the trouble ascertained. The 
remedies for this pest are successfully 
preventive, and consist in keeping all 
weeds and foreign plants from the field 
and in practicing a rotation of crops. 

Point Rot. — This occurs at the blossom 
end of the green fruit. It gradually 
spreads until the fruit is entirely worth- 
less. The disease seems to prefer dry 
weather and light soils. At present there 
are no successful means of controlling" it 
under field conditions. Sub-irrigation is 
said to have proven a successful remedy 
on small areas. 

Ripe Rot or Anthracnose. — While 
ripening, the fruit is often attacked by 
this disease, which causes it to decay rap- 
idly. It is more prevalent in rainy sea- 
sons, in some instances destroying the 
fruit on entire fields in a few days. Pre- 
ventive measures only can be made use 



30 



of, such as destroying the diseased fruits 
and planting far enough apart so that the 
light and air can enter to dry out the 
foliage. 

Blight and Cause. — I find the cause to 
be in taking the plants from the beds. In 
doing this, the roots are injured, thus cut- 
ting off all means of nourishing the plant, 
which will soon wilt, the leaves curling 
upward. Again, blight may be caused by 
the using of new soil. Older soil, well 
fertilized, combined with care in trans- 
planting, the roots having been protected, 
will greatly restrict the spreading of this 
blight. 

Leaf Spot Diseases. — There are several 
fungi troubles which affect the leaves and 
stem with a varying degree of severity. 
These diseases are characterized by the 
appearance of small, irregular brown 
spots, which may spread until the leaf and 
plant are killed. The one which is doing 
the most damage is the leaf spot. This 
disease usually appears first upon the 
lower leaves and then spreads to the 
leaves above. All the leaves may finally 
be destroyed. If many of the latter are 



destroyed, the fruit will not ripen prop- 
erly, nor will the vines mature the usual 
number of tomatoes. 

The first step is the destruction of the 
fungus. In many cases it is found in the 
soil of old beds. If this soil is to be used, 
use air-slaked lime for a top dressing be- 
fore sowing the seed; mix this lime 
through the soil seeing that it is thor- 
oughly incorporated. When the plants 
are ^2" in height, spray them with Bor- 
deaux Formula : 4 lbs. lime, 4 lbs. copper 
sulphate and 50 gals, water. Spray the 
plants once or twice a week, using but a 
light spray. This will give you a healthy 
plant. Fresh lime around your plant after 
it is set in the field is a good remedy for 
any disease. 

I lind a great many of the Tomato 
Growers lose their crops on account of 
excess moisture, the roots gathering more 
moisture than can be transpired through 
the leaves. This will cause the leaves to 
curl and the bloom to drop oft". A remedy 
for this is to cultivate deeply and as close 
to the plant as possible without injuring 
the roots. Follow this process by using a 



large single-shovel plow, not less than 
20" wide at the top and 10" long. This 
will throw the soil around the plant, caus- 
ing new roots to be put forth at once, 
thereby saving your crop to a great ex- 
tent. 

In the absence of the single-shovel 
plow, use a lioe and draw the soil around 
the plant. A field that is once affected 
with any fungus should not be set in to- 
matoes for several seasons. It is best to 
use fresh soil each year, destroying the 
old vines at the close of the season, to 
prevent the spreading of any disease that 
might be in the soil. 

Growers' Clubs 

In order to interest the coming farmers 
of today, I organized, this season, ten 
boys' clubs, the boys ranging in age from 
12 to 15 years. These boys contracted to 
set out and tend one-half acre of toma- 
toes, using the Landreth Red Rock vari- 
ety of seed. They were to receive the 
contract price for the tomatoes, and as an 
inducement I awarded gold watches to 
the boys having the greatest number of 



tons to their one-half acre. The highest 
average received was seven and one-half 
tons to the one-half acre, which, consider- 
ing the age of the boys, was exceptionally 
good. 

Growers are at all times willing to ex- 
change their plans of raising crops with 
other Growers. I find that the organizing 
of Growers' Clubs and the arranging for 
monthly meetings, where all points per- 
taining to tomato culture, as well as the 
raising of other crops, can be taken up, is 
to the advantage of the members. The 
new growers will become more interested 
in the work and better and more profit- 
able results invariably obtained. 

When Tomato Culture is better under- 
stood there will be no more certain or 
profitable crop that can be grown on the 
farm. 




Grown by \V. A. Van Camp, Indianapolis, Ind. 



The Van Camp Extra Early 

The seed for this tomato was sown un- 
der glass in a hot bed on March 15, 1910. 
It was transplanted twice, and each time 
was placed in a hot bed under glass. The 
plant was set in the open ground on the 
17th of April and was protected from the 
cold by a covering or a box with a glass 
top. A liquid fertilizer was used twice, 
equal to 500 lbs. of Dust Fertilizer to the 
acre. The cultivation was done with a 
small hoe, the side of the hoe being used 
to scrape the top of the soil. In order to 
give the roots their own free growth, the 
ground was never loosened around the 
plant. On the 27th of July 23 ripe toma- 
toes were picked from the plant and to- 
matoes continue to be picked from it dur- 
ing the entire season. You can see sev- 
eral tomatoes still clinging to this vine, 
which was dug up the last week of Oc- 
tober. 




LANDRETHS' RED ROCK 
TOMATO 

BIG PROFITS are assured by planting this 
celebrated sort 

Send for LANDRETHS' CANNERS' PRICE 
LIST on all Seeds and Testimonials 

D. Landreth Seed Company 



Oldest Seed Establishment in America 

ED 
1784 



FOUNDED Bristol, Pa. 



■"-•'•■ir-i. ' " 




E. Rauh CEb Sons Fertilizer Co. 

MANUFACTURERS OF 

HIGH GRADE COMMERCIAL 
FERTILIZERS 

Union Stock Yards Indianapolis, Ind. 

We desire to call your attention to our 
Special Tomato Fertilizer which is the best 
formula used for raising tomatoes. It has been 
tested out for a period of thirty years and 
always has given the very best of results. It 
is well balanced, and carries plant food elements 
in a highly available form. 

We shall be pleased to have you call on 
us or correspond with us, knowing it will be 
to our mutual benefit. 

E. Rauh CSJ, Sons Fertilizer Co. 



van 27 19S3 




One Great Advantage 

That a Transplanter has over hand 
setting is that water can be used, 
cheaply and easily, to aid the plants 
in becoming established. 

To make this feature effective, the 
WATER VALVE must work 
promptly and continously. This 
valve in the J. I. Case W^ILL work 
and work BETTER than any we 
know^. 

A Transplanter is a money-maker 
and a money-saver. It's good bus- 
iness to buy one. 

See the nearest case agent or write directly to 

J. I. CASE PLOW WORKS 

Indianapolis, Indiana : - ; Racine, Wisconsin 



Il 



m 



